Holt's Volts to reverberate in Trelawny

Reggae giant the late John Holt

Organisers of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival have tapped some of the best roots rock Reggae stalwarts to present a Tribute to the Late John Holt. Few singers have influenced generations of reggae acts than John Holt, the consummate lovers rock artiste. The tribute features nine acts is a pulsating Reggae party on Thursday, January 29 at the Trelawny Stadium.

Holt died in October in London at age 69, leaving a remarkable catalogue of music. That legacy will be recognised on opening night of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival on January 29. The lineup includes singers Errol Dunkley, George Nooks, Judy Mowatt, Cornell Campbell, vocal group The Tamlins and deejay Josey Wales all backed by Lloyd Parks and We The People Band, each artiste will dedicate part of their set to Holt. Also on Thursday night is soca artiste Oscar B with his band Oscar B and Vibes, promising an energetic, fun-filled performance.

According to the Jazz team, Holt's enduring career and massive cache of hit songs influenced the selection of acts on opening night. 

 

Holt hailed from Greenwich Town, a fishing community in Kingston with a rich music heritage. He set the pace for other singers from the area by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour contest multiple times in the 1950s while still a student at Calabar High School.

He had numerous hits in the rocksteady era with harmony trio, The Paragons (On the Beach, The Tide is High and Danger in Your Eyes), before going on to an even more successful solo career.

As a solo act, Holt racked up hits such as Stick by Me, A Love I Can Feel, Ali Baba and Police in Helicopter. The latter announced Holt as a dancehall performer in 1981. John Holt inspired a generation of reggae singers who emerged during the 1970s, including Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Clarke and Freddie McGregor.

 

The 2015 staging of the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues Festival, The Art of Music is slated to take place from January 29 - January 31 at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium. This year's Festival will feature extraordinary acts such as the multi Grammy-Award winning vocalist Mariah Carey, the energetic sibling group The Pointer Sisters, 2014 Billboard Chart toppers Magic, former lead singer of Chicago and soloist Peter Cetera, R&B Soul icon Charlie Wilson, North American based Reggae band, Soja, Bajan Saxophonist, Arturo Tappin, Roots Reggae group Morgan Heritage Reggae Crooner and Richie 'Ska Teck' Stephens. 

Building That Belgium Reggae Vibe

Ran into veteran reggae music promoter Copeland Forbes a short while ago, huddled with Danielle Pater.

Who's that, you may ask? Well, she's the artistic director for Reggae Geel, which is set to take place in Belgium in August.

  "You have to prepare from now" the reggae industry stalwart shared.

The tag line of the event is "catch a vibe" and this Belgium-Jamaica link is to secure the line-up.

One of Europe’s oldest reggae festivals, Reggae Geel was founded in 1978. Throughout the years Reggae Geel became a trendsetting and authentic festival. Every year we bring the best of what Jamaica has go to offer to the ‘Belse Bossen’ in the city of Geel. What once started as a party in open-air is now a leading festival with over 30,000 visitors each year.

The previous roster included Damian "Jr Gong" Marley, Raging Fyah, Chronixx, Bunny Wailer, Sanchez, Protoje, I-Octane, "Daddy" U-Roy, Jesse Royal and more.

Still Black As Cole....and better than ever

Anyone still questioning the future and potential of our indigenous reggae idiom [it means you haven't closely followed this blog :-) ] ought to have found themselves at the North (?) lawn of Devon House on Saturday. On that occasion, not only did female-led sextet Black As Cole reaffirm their status as the pre-eminent new reggae outfit in the land, but there was an added treat.

As the summer afternoon sun warmed up to critical mass (a strong hint of rain), the growing and enthusiastic crowd were treated to a similarly robust showing from

all-woman band Jewelz

an all-female outfit, dubbed Jewelz. Their repertoire on the day was, to my ears, limited to covers, but they were well executed, and spanned the gamut from Bob Marley and Lauren Hill to Chronixx.

That then set the stage for Black As Cole frontwoman Cecile, pleasantly reminiscent of the DapKings leader Sharon Jones and, if anything, even more soulful.With the supporting cast throwing down some irresistible grooves (especially bass player and partner Craig Cole who dished up bass lines that were both thick as mud and yet refined as glass), they took the crowd throu

Black As Cole band from Wellness fest 2012

gh a diverse collection of tunes, from the funky "Lovesick" to the mid-tempo "Maybe" and the socially conscious "Woman". Live music from both groups that well and truly lives up to the tag. A musical prescription that delivered wellness.

The performance was among several features of this year's renewal of the Reve Wellness festival, presented by jewellry and accessories designers Reve jewellery (Teasea and Duane Bennett. A wide range of quality and innovative art and craft items was also available